


The Same With You

by topofthechain



Category: Cravity (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Fluff, M/M, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29431623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topofthechain/pseuds/topofthechain
Summary: When Wonjin hears his name being yelled, his first instinct isn't to turn around. It's to duck, because his name is a battle cry. Specifically, Hyeongjun's battle cry.
Relationships: Ham Wonjin/Song Hyeongjun
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	The Same With You

**Author's Note:**

> Have a Valentine's Day gift inspired by Wonjin and Hyeongjun having snowball fights. I originally wanted to write this for Christmas, but I'm glad I wrote it now instead.
> 
> Check out Serim, Jungmo, Woobin, Wonjin and Minhee's cover of BtoB's Missing You [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D44s2BQ5_AY), which I realised fits this fic quite well.

When Wonjin hears his name being yelled, his first instinct isn't to turn around. It's to duck, because his name is a battle cry. Specifically, Hyeongjun's battle cry.

Whether it be a water balloon or squeeze horns, they're always taking each other by surprise. For almost two years, however, Wonjin's learned response hasn't been of much use, because there have been no surprise attacks at all.

After all these years, Wonjin has unconsciously made it a habit to glance at the house next to his whenever he has a chance to. It used to be because he wanted to check if his annoying neighbour was at home, but now it's just empty, wistful watching because he already knows Hyeongjun isn't there. It's distracting.

He still greets Hyeongjun's grandparents when he sees them, offering to help them with anything he can, and they call him a sweet boy. It's too bad Hyeongjun isn't around to play with him anymore, they say.

It makes Wonjin sound like he's a child, and he admits that he still is one, even though he's now a university student. It also makes Wonjin sound like he's missing something in his life now that Hyeongjun isn't here, and he swears that's far from the case. In fact, Wonjin is relieved to not have to see his face every day now or spend a ridiculous amount of money on foam darts and prank products.

(He dismisses the fact that he asked Hyeongjun's grandparents for his address so he could send birthday cards to him, and pretends he didn't feel his heart race a little faster when Hyeongjun’s grandparents told him they made Tongyeong kkulppang for his birthday because Hyeongjun asked them to)

Things are different now regardless of whether Hyeongjun is around or not. Wonjin has to get up earlier and travel a little more to get to university, and has bigger, more difficult assignments to work on. There isn't much time for him to fight with neighbours.

Sometimes, he does wonder how the boy he spent so many years endlessly bickering with is doing. By now, the slender boy with wide eyes and a wide smile exists only in Wonjin's memory, and Wonjin decides that it's better off that way.

Well, Wonjin's memory is doing a good job of conjuring the image of Song Hyeongjun this year, because Wonjin can't stop thinking about him.

It might be the fact that it's a winter far colder than the ones from the last few years, and it's gotten Wonjin swaddled in a blanket, drinking mug after mug of hot chocolate because there's nothing else making him feel warm.

It might be the fact that he's bored out of his mind from working on his research paper and none of his new friends are interested in trying to sabotage his snowmen.

It might be the fact that he's just heard from his parents that Hyeongjun's grandparents are apparently going to be moving soon. And that means their homely little house, which Wonjin has spent a significant amount of time in, is never going to be the same.

* * *

Wonjin becomes stubbornly grumpier as the days pass, refusing to leave the house in favour of sulking in his room. He doesn't entirely neglect his research paper, but he occasionally feels like typing a mass of nonsense into it or throwing his laptop out the window.

His parents make a few attempts to coax him out, but leave him be when they see how despondent he behaves when he walks out even to use the bathroom. He feels silly for acting like this, because surely he doesn't have to react in such an extreme way, but he really can't be bothered to drop the act. It's the break right now. When the new semester starts, he's going to have to put himself back together again as if nothing ever happened.

* * *

It’s only when he overhears his parents saying that it seems like Hyeongjun’s grandparents are leaving soon that he actually finds the motivation to go out again. Not wanting his parents to figure out that this is why Wonjin is finally not acting like a slob, he checks the date and pretends he’s going out to buy Valentine’s Day gifts for his friends. They ask if he’s getting a bit old for that, but Wonjin shrugs their questions off, choosing not to reply.

The mission is simple: get some sort of leaving present for Hyeongjun’s grandparents and pass it to them before they go.

When he leaves his house and habitually glances at the house next door, he notices the furniture and piles of boxes sitting outside, probably bursting with things Wonjin has seen frequently whenever he was invited inside the house. If these are still here, there should still be some time, right?

* * *

The streets are dressed in every hue of pink and red, and it’s slightly dizzying to look at as he checks out the shops selling snacks. Seeing as the 14th is the next day, Valentine’s offers are everywhere, and he wonders how much he can afford without going overboard.

While he scans even more shelves, it occurs to him that he could get something small for Hyeongjun’s grandparents to bring back to Hyeongjun and his sisters too. The reminder that now Wonjin will probably never see Hyeongjun again unless he visits Tongyeong resurfaces, and he grits his teeth. He doesn’t want to call Hyeongjun a childhood friend, but labelling him as a “neighbour” doesn’t do all those years spent together any justice. Maybe he actually does miss him.

* * *

In the end, Wonjin pays for a few packets of candy to go with the crackers and buns he found, and carries them home in two plastic bags.

Trudging through a sheet of snow, he lets himself think about how maybe this is a good turn of events. He’ll say goodbye to these neighbours who he has known for so long, and it’ll help him move on with his life. No more wasting time thinking about his childhood. The new semester will start and Wonjin can busy himself with things that matter more instead of dwelling on the past.

* * *

A few blocks from his house, Wonjin is greeted by silence. He’s finally been freed from the noisy crowds of people and is left with his busy mind. He keeps his head down, looking at the footprints he leaves in the snow.

A piece of snow falls onto the tip of Wonjin's nose. Just one moment before he can lift one arm to flick it off, he hears something. Footsteps charging through the snow, getting louder and louder. Alarmed, Wonjin freezes, trying to get a sense of what's going on. And then it comes.

"HAM WONJIN!"

Immediately, Wonjin ducks, dropping the plastic bags and raising his arms to cover his head as best as he can.

Not a second later, something huge slams into Wonjin, tackling him into the snow.

When he finally recovers from the initial shock, Wonjin finally dares to open his eyes to look at the heavy object that's landed on top of him. While examining what appears to be a thick winter coat, his eyes meet another pair of much wider, delicate eyes.

Wonjin startles and yelps as he recognises the face that's centimetres from his own. If he wasn't being pressed down on the snow, he would have backed away immediately out of instinct.

"What are you doing here?" he splutters, still having difficulty believing his eyes.

Hyeongjun, owner of the pretty eyes Wonjin can't believe he's seeing right now, stares at him for a moment. Then he laughs in his face. Wonjin watches, bemused and dumbfounded.

"I got you!" Hyeongjun exclaims when he finally stops laughing so hard. "I really got you this time!" he boasts, and Wonjin can’t help but think it’s cute to watch him celebrate like this.

Trying to change the topic from the fact that he got caught, Wonjin chooses to press Hyeongjun for an answer to his question. "But what are you doing here?" he demands again. A fraction of his brain reminds him that he should be happy to see Hyeongjun again, but he's too busy trying to understand what's going on to think about that properly.

Hearing this, Hyeongjun turns to him, his expression changing. "No, you need to tell me why you stayed in your room for the last few days! Explain that first and then I'll tell you why I'm here,” Hyeongjun huffs, folding his arms. “You don't have to believe me, but I was actually kind of worried about you!" At this, Hyeongjun moves one arm to send a punch to Wonjin's shoulder.

Wonjin groans, and not just because he'd just been hit really hard. Of all people, he wasn't expecting to have to explain all this to Hyeongjun. "It's nothing, really. I was just being pathetic," he says, trying to brush it off.

But Hyeongjun doesn't move an inch, and Wonjin knows there's no escape. "Oh, alright, I’ll tell you. What happened is that I heard that your grandparents are going to move, and I got incredibly sulky about losing so many years of memories so I stopped wanting to leave my room."

Hyeongjun studies him carefully. "That's all?" He turns to sit up, finally freeing Wonjin from being pressed down.

"Yes," Wonjin confirms, "that's it.”

“That does sound pathetic,” Hyeongjun says, chortling.

“I only left the house today because I didn't want to let your grandparents leave without saying goodbye,” Wonjin admits, scratching his head and quietly pondering why he’s okay with telling Hyeongjun all of this. “I'm guessing you came to help them with packing stuff up to bring home?"

"No, that isn't the reason why I'm here. My grandparents are moving because there isn't enough space for five people in the house. My sisters both happened to get jobs near here, while I'm going to attend university near here too. I found out it’s near yours, actually."

Wonjin blinks once, then another time, waiting for Hyeongjun to start howling with laughter and gloat about successfully tricking Wonjin again. After two years, maybe Wonjin’s become a bit rusty with catching onto someone trying to prank him. He’d also forgotten that Hyeongjun, who he often pictures in his head as a young and mischievous schoolboy, has just graduated high school, but that’s beside the point.

"Why do you look so confused?" Hyeongjun asks.

"That sounds too good to be true. Is this a cruel joke?" Wonjin asks, his tone careful and serious.

"No, not at all," Hyeongjun says. "I've been accepted and everything, do you need to see the letter they sent me?" He laughs gently, and Wonjin is reminded of the days when he would joke around with Hyeongjun like this.

"It's okay, I believe you now," Wonjin reassures, shaking his head. "It really sounded like something out of a dream. I was getting ready to never hear from you ever again...and that's why I didn't want to confront the sight of your grandparents moving out."

Hearing this, Hyeongjun laughs again. "You know, for someone who's been through a year of university, you're still a really funny guy without trying to be. Kind of cute too, actually."

Wonjin stiffens, unsure of what kind of reaction to give to Hyeongjun calling him 'cute'.

"There was never any need for you to worry," Hyeongjun continues. "I still have your address, and you do realise that it doesn't take much effort to find someone on social media either, right?"

Wonjin hangs his head, trying to hide his embarrassed expression. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I just wasn't sure whether you wanted to keep in touch or not. All we ever did until you left two years ago was fight and eat, so how was I supposed to know what kind of impression of me you took with you back to Tongyeong?"

Hyeongjun rolls his eyes, clearly exasperated. "Stop being so silly, I wouldn't bother asking my grandparents to make kkulppang for your birthday if I didn't care about you anymore," he scolds. "And I wanted my return to be a surprise, but then you went and locked yourself up at home. I was almost going to break your door down if your parents didn't inform me that you finally went out today. To buy Valentine’s Day gifts, I heard?"

Now remembering the lame excuse he'd given his parents, Wonjin almost chokes, quickly shaking his head. "No, no, that was a lie. I didn't want them to know the actual reason why I stopped lazing around at home today, so I made that up."

"Then what did you spend more than two hours buying?" Hyeongjun asks, pointing at the two plastic bags a short distance away from them. Wonjin’s face burns, feeling the heat of humiliation because Hyeongjun knows how long he’s been out for while he himself had not kept track.

"Just buns and crackers for your grandparents," Wonjin mutters. "Candy for them to take to you and your sisters too, since I had no idea that you would be here. There were many options and I wanted to choose wisely." What kind of neighbour spends so long picking leaving presents? Wonjin wonders what Hyeongjun thinks of him now, whether he thinks Wonjin is just as childish and idiotic as he’s always been.

"Aw, that's sweet of you,” Hyeongjun says after a moment. Wonjin’s head shoots up in surprise. “I genuinely believed your parents when they said that you were buying Valentine’s Day gifts or something," Hyeongjun says before craning his neck to stare up at the sky. "I was going to tease you about it, but it seems like you're the same as you've always been. It's good though, I'm happy about that."

Wonjin is baffled, more than he has ever been as of late. He wonders what there is to like about his foolish and immature antics. What does Hyeongjun really think of him? Wonjin has no way to tell whether Hyeongjun felt the same sting of sadness when he went back to Tongyeong and had similar moments of yearning too, or if Wonjin is just some weakling who’s always been susceptible to latching himself onto anyone who can put up with him.

Wonjin swallows, wishing he’d stop dwelling on this kind of thing which he can never make sense of. Instead, he reminds himself that pranks are free reign again, especially now that Hyeongjun has caught him off guard once today. He doesn’t know if it’s his old habits resurrecting or if this is just how it is with Hyeongjun. If he and Hyeongjun are game characters, then Wonjin’s default move is to find a way to irritate Hyeongjun whenever he’s within range.

Observing that the previous tension has somewhat relaxed by now, Wonjin pushes himself to move forward with his new mission. He takes a while to settle on the most surprising statement he can think of, and then faces Hyeongjun, who is still gazing up at the darkening sky. "Hey, Hyeongjun?" he calls out to get his attention, to which the boy turns to look at him. "Will you be my valentine?" he asks.

As Hyeongjun furrows his brows, trying to comprehend whether Wonjin is being serious or not (Wonjin doesn't know either), a handful of snow is sent down the back of his sweater. Realising what's going on, Hyeongjun leaps to his feet angrily. "You'll pay for this, Ham Wonjin," he snarls, cracking his knuckles.

Unable to hide the huge grin spreading across his face, Wonjin quickly gets back up too, reaching down to scoop up as much snow as he can hold. "Not if you can't catch me," he teases, running as he crafts a solid snowball with his hands, preparing to launch it at Hyeongjun’s waist.

* * *

They call a ceasefire when Wonjin catches a glimpse of the time on his watch, and they hurriedly make a run for Wonjin's house.

It's already long past his family's dinner time, and Wonjin knows there's no way he can just slip in without a scolding. He'd managed to lose his keys too, so that warrants double the scolding he used to get.

Despite knowing that his grandparents are probably worried about his whereabouts, Hyeongjun insists on accompanying Wonjin, claiming that he ought to be told off too. Wonjin doesn’t know if he should be reassured by Hyeongjun’s presence next to him or even more panicked.

* * *

Even outside the front door, Wonjin's father can be heard loudly grumbling about Wonjin's failure to inform them that he would be returning late and how he'd thought Wonjin had gotten rid of this bad habit two years ago. When they hear the man walk up the stairs, the two boys exchange fearful glances.

"I'm pressing the doorbell now," Wonjin announces shakily.

Hyeongjun only gives a nod, and Wonjin raises his free hand (the other holds the plastic bags containing what could be salvaged from the snow they had fired at each other) to press the doorbell. There is no immediate response from either of his parents, and so Hyeongjun and Wonjin are stuck standing there and shivering.

"Tell me, were you just trying to distract me when you asked me that question or did you really mean it?" Hyeongjun asks, trying to ease their nerves as they wait for someone to come and open the door.

Although they had talked (and shouted) a lot in the midst of their snow fight, Wonjin remembers exactly what question Hyeongjun is referring to. "Both, I think," he mutters, slightly flustered.

Hyeongjun snorts. "Loser," he retorts, and Wonjin wonders what percentage of that word is an insult and what percentage of it is meant to be affectionate. "I will say yes, if you ask me again tomorrow, and properly. You're forbidden from using it to catch me off guard for another attack, though," he continues, eyes refusing to meet Wonjin's as he swipes a bit of snow off the sleeve of his coat.

"Okay," Wonjin breathes, his whole face now warm. "Okay." It runs through his head that he has no idea what Hyeongjun finds romantic, no idea how much of Hyeongjun has changed in the last two years, no idea why Hyeongjun is willing to be his valentine, but none of that stops his heart from pounding faster than ever.

The foolish grin that had appeared on his face is banished when the door is thrown open, revealing his frantic-looking mother. Her mouth is ajar, ready to start yelling or freaking out, depending on who it is. But then she catches sight of Wonjin and Hyeongjun standing in front of her like a pair of lost children, messily covered in snow from head to toe and wearing faces of guilt and fear. She takes a moment to absorb this, and the boys brace themselves for the scolding, but they don't end up getting one, because instead, she bursts out laughing.

It's not a brief laugh of amusement, nor one of mockery, but a full-on round of laughter. She raises a hand to cover her mouth, trying to calm herself down, but her face is full of some kind of joy. Wonjin and Hyeongjun exchange another look, confused but also relieved.

When she finally stops laughing so hard, with a tear threatening to slide down her cheek, she echoes the same words Wonjin had said to Hyeongjun in the middle of their battle: "I missed this."

Hyeongjun cracks a smile, while Wonjin bashfully averts his gaze. No one is told off that night.

* * *

After turning his closet upside down to find a crease-free shirt and rushing to the shops again to buy chocolates, Wonjin brings his offerings to Hyeongjun’s grandparents' house. If Hyeongjun had been there to see him freaking out, he would have had a fit of laughter, but every time Wonjin dares to take a peek at the house next to his, the boy is nowhere to be seen.

Cowering in front of the front door, he realises that his intent is totally different from what it would have been if it had been yesterday. Wonjin tries to get himself to relax, but before he can even go through the greeting he'd haphazardly memorised an hour ago, Hyeongjun's grandmother opens the door.

"Good morning, Wonjin," she greets. "Aren't you going to come in? Hyeongjun told us you would be coming over and insisted on preparing some hotteok this morning."

So it seems Hyeongjun’s already a step ahead of him, and Wonjin can’t stop himself from feeling a little bitter. Wonjin quickly thanks Hyeongjun’s grandmother and steps inside the house.

Luckily, Hyeongjun’s sisters are out, and Wonjin is secretly relieved when he hears that they won't be returning until it's the evening. That's two fewer people for him to potentially embarrass himself in front of.

Shortly after Wonjin takes a seat at the dining table, Hyeongjun and his grandfather appear from the kitchen with plates of hotteok, and the addicting smell almost makes Wonjin forget about his mission for the day.

* * *

Once the four of them have had a good helping of hotteok, Wonjin takes out the buns and crackers, explaining to Hyeongjun’s grandparents that he’s sad that they will be leaving, very grateful for their years of kindness and hospitality, and hopes that he can visit them in Tongyeong in the future. Naturally, Hyeongjun’s grandparents respond positively. With the easy part sorted, now comes the difficult part.

Just as Wonjin clears his throat, preparing to give an excuse to speak to Hyeongjun privately, Hyeongjun speaks up. “I’m going to show my room to Wonjin,” he says brightly, standing up.

Wonjin gapes at him, then quickly gathers himself, offers a smile to Hyeongjun’s grandparents who nod in return, and follows Hyeongjun up the stairs.

It turns out that Hyeongjun is moving back into the same room as before. He opens the door, ushering Wonjin in before closing it behind them. Casually remarking that the curtains are closed, he goes to open them along with the windows. With Hyeongjun’s back turned, Wonjin knows this is his chance. He gulps, fingers fidgeting with the box of chocolate as he notes that many things look the same as they did two years ago.

After hesitating for a few seconds to make sure that Hyeongjun isn’t about to throw him off again, Wonjin takes a deep breath. “Hyeongjun?”

Hyeongjun lets go of the curtain and whirls around. “Yes?” he answers sweetly. Maybe it’s just Wonjin’s imagination, but his eyes look as if they’re sparkling, and he looks incredibly pretty right now. Wonjin feels his throat go dry.

Remembering that Hyeongjun is waiting, he hurriedly composes himself again. “Will you be my valentine?” he asks, holding the box of chocolates in front of him.

Hyeongjun’s gaze slips to the box for a bit before darting up to lock eyes with Wonjin again. “Well,” he starts, and Wonjin holds his breath in anticipation. “I can’t say no to someone like you, can I?”

Amidst the rush of relief mixed with happiness, Wonjin finds himself blurting out another question right away, unable to control himself from being cheeky in some way. “Then what if I asked you to be my boyfriend?”

Hyeongjun chuckles shyly, and Wonjin realises he’s never seen him look this embarrassed before. “I think it’s too early to say yes to that.” But in spite of that, as Hyeongjun accepts the chocolates from Wonjin, he lets his fingers brush against Wonjin’s. If he keeps this cuteness up, Wonjin might break through the roof and shoot up to the moon.

Finding it impossible to stop himself from staring fondly at the small smile on Hyeongjun’s face, Wonjin realises he probably looks like a fool, but decides it doesn’t matter if he’s Hyeongjun’s valentine for the day. Fully processing the whole “Valentine” thing, Wonjin starts debating whether it is acceptable for him to just reach out and hold Hyeongjun’s hand or not.

“Let’s get some lunch and then continue where we left off yesterday,” Hyeongjun proposes, breaking the silence.

Snapping out of his daze, Wonjin agrees immediately. “Sure.”

Maybe this is Hyeongjun’s idea of a good time—playful but also competitive fights, and Wonjin finds that he doesn’t mind that at all, because he feels the same way. He has no reason to care what anyone else thinks.

* * *

Hours later, with snow all over their coats again, Wonjin does get to hold Hyeongjun’s hand as they sit on a park bench, watching the sun set.

He doesn’t mind growing up some more as long as he can still be with Hyeongjun like this.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I welcome kudos and any feedback including thoughts about this fic and how I can improve!


End file.
